The Piano Bar

What The Piano Bar does

The Piano Bar is a Dutch mobile entertainment and hospitality service founded in 2017 by Jan Evert van Apeldoorn (singing pianist) and Mèlanie Snieder (hospitality), structured as a VOF (general partnership) and headquartered in Almere with a statutory address in Amsterdam. The company rents out a proprietary mobile furniture unit that integrates a grand piano and a fully stocked cocktail bar in one piece, transported in two parts and operable indoors or outdoors with a single external power point. A singing pianist performs live (3x45-minute sets) while bartenders prepare cocktails in the piano wing, bundling bar service, live music, atmospheric lighting, vintage stools, and audio into one delivered experience. The company extended into remote entertainment during the COVID-19 lockdown with an Online Music Bingo product hosted on Microsoft Teams.

The business operates throughout the Netherlands with a direct sales model: clients request custom quotes via a website form, email, or phone, and bookings are confirmed via signed quotes with a staged deposit schedule (50% on signing, 25% two months before, 25% plus beverage reconciliation within 14 days post-event). Revenue streams include the core event rental, beverage pre-purchases with post-event consumption reconciliation (nacalculatie), add-on music (contrabassist, second pianist, DJ), styling add-ons (uplights, hanging lamps, festival lights, standing tables), and online music bingo with optional drink and prize packages. Cancellation fees scale from 10% beyond 16 weeks to 100% within one week of the event.

The Piano Bar serves four primary verticals - weddings, corporate and business events, private celebrations, and public festivals - and works with named enterprise clients including Aegon, ASR Nederland, McKinsey, PricewaterhouseCoopers, De Nederlandsche Bank, ING, Sanquin, PostNL, Volvo, Bergman Clinics, BNNVARA, and KNMI. Distribution relies on direct booking plus referral partnerships with Dutch wedding planners (Weddingplanner het Bruidsmeisje, Velvet & Rose Events), event agencies (PINO, De Collectie), and premium venues (Paleis Soestdijk, Buitenplaats Doornburgh). Brand recognition includes the 2026 Bart's Boekje 'Best of Bart's Wedding' listing and Stichting Trouwbranchenederland partner status. As of 2024, the team comprises 12 people after the founders expanded capacity beyond their two-person operation.

Name

The Piano Bar

Legal name

VOF The Piano Bar

Website

https://thepianobar.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Piano Bar is a Dutch mobile entertainment service that rents an integrated grand piano and cocktail bar unit, staffed with a singing pianist and bartenders, for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and festivals throughout the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Event Entertainment Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Party DJ, Music & Audio Services (HSACACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bar & Beverage Catering (Mobile Bar, Bartending) (HSACAGAF)

Keywords

• Mobile piano bar
• Live event entertainment
• Wedding bar service
• Mobile cocktail bar
• Corporate event music

Headquarters

HQ city

Almere

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mobile Piano Bar Rental (Events): Core revenue from renting out the mobile piano bar with live music for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and festivals. Pricing is quote-based, determined by event type, duration, and add-ons. Includes singing pianist for 3x45 min sets, bar staff, pouring of client-supplied drinks, 10 vintage bar stools, refrigerator, audio equipment, atmospheric lighting, bar accessories, parasol, and luxury flower arrangement.
2. Beverages (Pre-purchased or Upsold): Clients pre-purchase drinks (wines, champagnes, cocktails, gin & tonics, specialty beers). Additional drinks consumed beyond the pre-purchased amount are billed post-event via nacalculatie (actual consumption billing).
3. Online Music Bingo: Live music bingo (not with numbers, but with artists) played online via Teams. Revenue of €12.50 ex VAT per participant with a €250 minimum. Can also include drink packages with bottles sent to participants' homes, and prize packages.
4. Add-on Music Services: Contrabassist, DJ, and second pianist available as add-ons to the base booking, generating additional per-event revenue.
5. Styling and Decoration Add-ons: Uplights, hanging lamps above the bar, festival lights, and 3 standing tables in matching style are available as rentable decoration add-ons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Piano Bar rents a custom-built mobile furniture piece that combines a grand piano with a fully-equipped bar, delivered to a client-chosen location with a singing pianist, professional bartenders, vintage bar stools, audio equipment, atmospheric lighting, and styling. The service is sold as an all-in-one entertainment-plus-beverage package, configurable as a cocktail, gin & tonic, wine/champagne, or specialty beer bar, with optional DJ and Music Bingo add-ons for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and public festivals across the Netherlands.

Product overview

The Piano Bar is a mobile piano bar service founded in 2017, offering a unique combination of live music and beverage service for events. The core offering is the Piano Bar itself—a mobile bar with integrated grand piano where a singing pianist performs, flanked by professional bartenders serving drinks. The service can be configured as a cocktail bar, gin & tonic bar, wine/champagne bar, or specialty beer bar. Add-on modules include a contrabassist for enhanced musical performance, DJ service for dancing, and Music Bingo for interactive entertainment. Clients can also supply their own beverages. Additional styling options include mood lighting and matching furniture. The service is bookable for corporate events, weddings, and private parties at the client's chosen location, both indoors and outdoors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Piano Bar Mobile Piano Bar Service All-in-one mobile piano bar experience that delivers a singing pianist (3x45-minute sets), professional mobile bar with bartender service, vintage bar stools, refrigeration, high-quality audio equipment, extra microphone for speakers, curated playlist for in-between sets, atmospheric lighting, stylish bar accessories, parasol in good weather, and a luxury flower arrangement to the client's chosen location. Configurable as a cocktail, gin & tonic, wine/champagne, or specialty beer bar, with optional styling add-ons. Designed for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and festivals throughout the Netherlands.
• DJ Service DJ add-on service that can replace or follow the live singing-pianist performance at events. The piano keys are removed and turntables placed on top of the piano bar to create a DJ booth, enabling dancing to house, disco, or other beats. DJ style is coordinated with the client in advance.
• Music Bingo Interactive musical bingo game where players mark artist names on their bingo cards while the bingo host plays and sings snippets of songs on piano. Features three rounds (vertical line, horizontal line, full card). Available both as a live event and as an online version via Microsoft Teams at €12.50 ex VAT per participant with a €250 minimum.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer satisfaction is very high based on extensive testimonial references on the company's own website and third-party review platforms.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bart's BottlescoreOthersDutch spirits and drinks specialist. The Piano Bar selects beverages in collaboration with Bart's Bottles, indicating a product sourcing partnership for their cocktail and spirit offerings.
• Karakter WijnimportcoreOthersDutch wine import specialist. The Piano Bar selects wines in collaboration with Karakter Wijnimport for their wine bar and champagne bar offerings.
• East ImperialcoreOthersPremium tonic water brand made from 100% natural Asian ingredients and New Zealand spring water, with no added sugars. East Imperial is used exclusively for all gin & tonic serves at The Piano Bar.
• Ron Blaauw (Winemaker's Dinners)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Winemaker's Dinners events where The Piano Bar provides live music and bar service alongside culinary experiences led by chef Ron Blaauw.
• The Inner Circle (speed-dating event)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with dating app The Inner Circle at the komm schon Alter festival in 2018. The Piano Bar served as a gin & tonic bar and speed-dating venue, with couples switching dates between each musical number played by Jan Evert.
• Weddingplanner het BruidsmeisjecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch wedding planner who actively refers The Piano Bar to wedding clients and collaborates on wedding events. Referrals appear on the company's own testimonials page.
• Velvet & Rose EventscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent planning company that refers The Piano Bar for wedding and event clients. Listed as a key referral partner.
• PINO (Evenementenbureau)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent management company that regularly hires The Piano Bar for corporate events (e.g., KNMI event at Fort Voordorp).
• De CollectiecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent management company that books The Piano Bar for corporate events, including Volvo events at SugarFactory.
• BNNVARAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch public broadcasting organization that hired The Piano Bar for an online music bingo team-building event during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• Paleis SoestdijkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier Dutch wedding and events venue at the former royal palace. Lists The Piano Bar as a preferred partner on their website.
• Buitenplaats DoornburghcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium Dutch wedding and events estate. Lists The Piano Bar as a partner venue on the company's website.
• Iconic Studios (Fettercairn Whisky Tasting)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent production company that organized the Fettercairn Whisky tasting at Studio Noorderfabriek Amsterdam, for which The Piano Bar provided the bar and live music service.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cocktailbazen: Amsterdam-based mobile cocktail bar service for events across the Netherlands. Most directly comparable Dutch mobile bar operator competing for the same wedding and corporate event customers, though without the integrated piano/performance element.
• De Borrelbus: Dutch mobile bar service targeting weddings, parties, and corporate events with dedicated branded vehicles. Closest competitor in the NL mobile bar segment for premium events, but supplies the bar only rather than integrated live music.
• Feestbier: Dutch mobile bar service specializing in beer and drink arrangements for private parties and corporate events. Comparable in the Dutch mobile bar segment for events, but without the integrated musical performance element.
• Drankstation: Dutch mobile bar operator servicing events throughout the Netherlands. Comparable value proposition (mobile bar rental for events) but without the integrated singing-pianist component that differentiates The Piano Bar.

Emerging players

• The Tipsy Wagon: US-based mobile bar service for weddings and corporate events. Comparable mobile bar-as-event-experience model; differs in being a broader-format mobile bar without the integrated grand piano performance element.
• Online Music Bingo (muziekbingo.nl): Dutch online music bingo operator using artist-name bingo cards. Directly comparable to The Piano Bar's online music bingo product line, competing for the same remote corporate team-building budget.

Regional players

• The Mobile Bar Company: UK mobile bar rental and event service targeting weddings and corporate functions. Comparable in mobile bar service and event positioning, but geographically focused on the UK market.
• Mr Fitzpatrick's Mobile Bar: UK-based mobile bar service for weddings and corporate events with vintage-themed vehicles. Comparable in mobile bar delivery and event focus, but UK regional and without the integrated piano performance.

Broad incumbents

• Liquid Catering: US-based mobile bar and beverage catering company serving corporate and private events at scale. Comparable in mobile bar-for-events deliverable, but operates at significantly larger scale and as a broader beverage caterer rather than a niche integrated-entertainment concept.

Others

• Velvet & Rose Events: Dutch wedding and event planner that frequently books The Piano Bar. Referrer and adjacent ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor; comparable because they shape the same premium wedding customer set in the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thepianobar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Piano Bar